Overwatch 2 devs confirm map assignment changes are coming

In a recent blog post, Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller confirmed that map changes are coming soon. One of the biggest changes are coming to map pools. In fact, they will no longer exist after Season 4 begins. Alongside that, Keller mentions map frequency and even a new game mode on the horizon.

Hey all!
We've put a new post up on the OW website. I'll be diving into several topics related to maps and level design, including Map Pools😅 Check it out!https://t.co/gT9vWxi2J8

— Aaron Keller (@aaronkellerOW) February 3, 2023

Map pools are on their way out

One of the first things mentioned in this Overwatch 2 blog about map changes is an admission: that map pools were a mistake. Starting in Season 4, in the near future, map pools will be removed from each season, so each map will be available to play in quick play and competitive game modes.

Alongside that, Keller talked about fan feedback about getting some maps more than others. While he did confirm that the maps are randomized, it’s not complete chance that players have gotten maps like Colosseo and New Queen Street more often than others. This has to do with a system that tried to prevent players from playing the same map or game mode twice in a row. Since Push was a game mode with only two maps, it would appear more often. The team knows of this, with a change coming in a future season.

New PvP game mode coming out in 2023

One of the surprise mentions in this blog was a quick point in the middle of the piece. Keller confirmed that, by the end of the year, a new game mode will be introduced later this year. He mentioned a seasonal release, meaning it’ll join the game at the start of a season.

We don’t know what this new game mode is, but there are some good theories online. No matter what the potential mode is, there are a lot of maps currently out of a mode since the removal of Assault. From Hanamura to Horizon Lunar Colony, we have the maps, just no mode to play them on. If the developers find a way to reintroduce those maps, that’ll add a lot more variety to the game.